MANTECA — Times are rough for those in the buff — at least in Manteca. City officials this week stripped nudists of their right to hang around naked on private property if their naughty bits are visible to the public.

Manteca police Chief Charlie Halford said the ban, adopted Monday by the City Council, stemmed from two specific instances of people flaunting it in public.

“We had a female nude sunbather behind the Boys and Girls Club, and we have a gentleman on the south side of town who likes to wash his car in the nude,” Halford said. “It goes into effect in 30 days.”

Those caught violating the ban could face misdemeanor charges punishable by a $500 fine or six months in jail, said Halford, adding public opposition to the ordinance was minimal.

“We didn’t have anybody locally opposed to it,” he said. “The only opposition we had was a spokesperson representing two nudist organizations — all of them from out of town.”

Voicing his dissent was Alonzo Stevens, national government affairs chairman for the American Association of Nude Recreation, who said many people harbor misconceptions about public nudity.

“Most people hear nudity, and they relate that to sex,” Stevens said. “That’s not true. (Nudists) do the same thing everyone else does — we just do it in the nude.”

Stevens said he pursues many hobbies sans clothing.

“I go fishing and golfing. I enjoy swimming, or sitting down to read a good book,” he said. “I just do it nude.”

Those who enjoy nude recreation are not deviants, Stevens said. They are individuals hailing from all walks of life and professions, and the association’s many nudist resorts cater to families.

One of the association’s largest resorts is Laguna Del Sol in Wilton, not far from Manteca.

Stevens said the association does not oppose banning public nudity — it just wants to protect the right of people to go nude on private property.

“We don’t want people running down the street naked,” Stevens said. “There are appropriate places to go nude. We just wanted the city to grant some leeway so (nudists) could recreate in certain places.”

California law does not prohibit public nudity unless it’s a disturbance to others, police said.

In Pleasanton — as far as public nudity is concerned — law enforcement’s role would be enforcing the indecent exposure law in the penal code, Pleasanton Police Sgt. Barry Mickleburgh said.

California Penal Code 314 defines indecent exposure as exposing one’s person, or private parts thereof, in a public place or place where persons are present to be offended or annoyed thereby.

Livermore police said public nudity becomes an issue when it’s done to get a reaction from others.”

If someone’s on their own property and making a reasonable effort to conceal themselves, we won’t do anything, Livermore Police Sgt. Jim Conley said.

In other words, if you live in Pleasanton or Livermore, don’t prance around your front yard naked.

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